


Confessions of the Commonwealth Detective

by remuslupinlover



Series: Nick Valentine and Sam Sheffield [1]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: F/M, maybe a series if I get some positive feedback, my first fic in a long time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-07
Updated: 2016-03-07
Packaged: 2018-05-25 06:45:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6184768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/remuslupinlover/pseuds/remuslupinlover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick Valentine returns to his office to find an unexpected guest. The two share a cigarette and their true feelings for one another. But Nick has a hard time overcoming his doubts of being worthy of love. Sole Survivor Sam Sheffield might be able to show him the way. (My first fic in a LONG time so sorry if it's a little rusty)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Confessions of the Commonwealth Detective

There were many things that intrigued Nick Valentine. Was the rest of the country, or what was left of it, in war torn shambles like New England? How many bottle caps equaled an old dollar in currency? Why did the Institute program synths to feel pain?

But what intrigued Nick Valentine the most at that moment was the petite dame perched on his office desk. She was looking at him from across the room where he stood by the door to his agency. He moved slowly backwards, leaning against it as it clicked shut, leaving them both in the room alone. 

She blinked coyly, batting those eyelashes at him with a smile. Nick felt the coolant tubes in his chest filtering faster, heating his body. He smiled back at her from beneath his hat, taking a step forward. 

“Hey there, partner.” He said. “Didn’t expect you to be visiting Diamond City for a while. Thought those raider groups up north were keeping you and Hancock busy.” He said, walking closer to the Vault Dweller.

Sam sighed, jumping down from the desk and walking behind it to plop down in Nick’s chair. She swiveled left and right, looking up at the synth with a slight frown. 

“John got a message from Fahrenheit, something about some new drifters who didn’t look too nice stirring up trouble in Goodneighbor. He wanted to go back anyway. Said he wanted to work on setting up better defenses and resources for the citizens.” Sam smiled now, playing with a pen resting on the desk, tapping it against a closed case file. 

“So I thought I’d drop by and see my favorite partner in crime.” She said, watching Nick walk around to the side of the desk and lean against it while pulling out a pack of cigarettes. He reached out to offer Sam one; she took it happily, and placed the cigarette end in her mouth. She stood up as Nick pulled a second one out for himself and reached back into his pocket for his lighter. He flicked the top open, striking the flame and raised it to his cigarette, watching the small tip burn. His eyes moved to Sam, as she stepped closer, her face next to his as she brought her face close enough for her cigarette to be lit. The small flame from the lighter cast an orange glow across her face and his metal hand. 

Sam smiled through her closed lips, reaching up to hold the cigarette between two fingers. As she inhaled, she closed her eyes and tilted her head back. Nick flicked the lighter shut, and stuffed it back into his pocket. He watched her neck stretch and her mouth open slightly as she let out a small breathe of smoke. Sam opened her eyes and watched the smoke drift towards the ceiling. 

“I’ve missed you Nicky”. She said softly, looking back at the synth in front of her. 

Nick took a drag of his cigarette, ignoring the smoke escaping through the gaping holes in his neck.

“I missed you too, Doll”. He said, before stepping away to fiddle with a few of the case files that littered his office desk. 

Although he hadn’t admitted it out loud, Nick Valentine was in love. 

It had taken him completely by surprise. Ever since he had woken up in the garbage heap with memories of a man long dead, he never would’ve imagined he’d be where he was right now. In love with a woman who had woken up from a 200 year cryo-nap, looking for a kidnapped son and seeking vengeance for the murder of a husband. 

She had rescued him from Skinny Malone and Darla like he was a damsel in distress and she was a knight in shining armor. Had even talked the girl into going back home and the goon into letting them leave peacefully. Nick had followed behind in shock and disbelief as the woman lead him safely out of the sub-station and back out into the sunlight. She’d turned around abruptly, almost making him run into her from behind. 

“I’m Sam.” She said, sticking her hand out for him to shake. “Sam Sheffield.” 

“Nick Valentine, however; I think you already knew that”. He had said, hesitating before using his metal right hand to shake hers. She took it without a blink of the eye, smiling up at him from under her bulky armor and brown bangs. 

Looking back, Nick should have realized then that he was a goner. She made him feel like a real person. Truly human. She had done nothing but help him. She had rescued him, had helped him with his cases, had tightened the bolts in his hand, and even stopped the rescue for her son and helped him search out Eddie Winter. 

“Nick, of course I’ll help you find him.” 

“We can do it later, your son needs to come first-“

“Nick you helped me kill Kellogg. You put his memories in your head for me. The least I can do is help you close the Winter case. I want to help”. She had said fiercely, pulling the lapels of his coat together and patting his chest. She sighed, closing her eyes for a brief moment.

“You’ve been nothing but a friend since I woke up in this crazy world.” She said, looking up at him. “You’re the best thing I’ve got right now Nick. And I can’t thank you enough.”  
Occasionally he had a client cling to him in thanks for finding their missing kid, or cheating spouse, or lost possession. But he liked it more when Sam was the person clinging to him, bright green eyes looking up at him. Close enough he could count the spatter of freckles across her nose. She gave him small smile then, before stepping back and pressing play on the first Eddie Winters holotape on her Pip Boy. 

Together they had trekked miles in search of Eddie, and after they had found him and he had put an end to the ghoul’s life, he had shown Sam the spot where the Old Nick Valentine’s fiancé had died in Old Nick’s arms. Nick the synth detective had clenched his hands into fists, fighting the urge to yell at the pain of the memories that weren’t even his. No, the only thing of Nick the synth detective was the duty to do justice for the people of the post-nuclear Commonwealth. And as he let out a sigh at the end of his rant, Sam had looked at him with a shaky smile and shining eyes. She sniffled, lunged and latched onto his slender frame, arms tight around his waist. He had responded, wrapping his arms around her, using his hand with synthetic skin to cradle the back of her head, keeping her close. 

“You don’t have to keep thinking about Old Nick’s memories.” She had whispered into his ear. “You’re doing something Old Nick can’t do anymore: you’re making new memories”.  
They had traveled back to Goodneighbor after wrapping up the Winter case. He needed to talk to Amari about getting completely rid of Kellogg’s memories and Sam needed to trade and get a proper night’s sleep. But then Sam had gotten caught up in some back alley job that led to the friendship with the mayor of Goodneighbor, Hancock. The two had connected like old friends, throwing Nick’s growing feelings for a loop. He watched the pair joke over running settlements, taking the occasional Mentat and having a drink. It was then that Nick Valentine realized that although he was in love, he could never act upon his feelings. He was a synth. He was Institute trash and while he may have been a good detective he could never be a good lover. 

The decision to leave had come easier than he thought it would. In Hancock’s lounge, Sam and Hancock were having diner while Nick finished off his third cigarette of the day. He watched the two eat and drink, cracking jokes and laughing to near tears. They were able to do things Nick couldn’t. And Nick knew then that he had to let the pretty dame go to the better man. 

Valentine had mentioned going back to Diamond City to check on his cases. A lie, but a good enough one for Sam to give him a smile, hug, and sad farewell the next morning. The promise to come visit him soon had barely left her mouth before Hancock volunteered to be her new traveling companion and the two shared a smile. He only looked back twice as he walked out of Goodneighbor, thinking he might have seen the last of the closest thing he could call a sweetheart.  
But now here she was, smiling at him from his desk chair. 

“I really did miss you.” She said quietly, watching his golden eyes blink at her from under his hat. 

Sam tapped her half burnt cigarette out in the ash tray on the corner of his desk. She glanced over at him before reaching out and touching the lapel of his coat with both hands, running her thumbs down its folds. 

“John was nice company but he’s no Nick Valentine.” She joked, smiling wider. 

Nick let out a chuckle, reaching up with his good hand to take hold of one of hers on his coat. He gently caressed her worn knuckles, thinking of some witty comeback when Sam shifted even closer. He watched her free hand travel up his coat lapel, touching the collar of his dirty button up shirt. Fingers traced the edge of the shirt before moving to touch the grey synthetic skin on his neck. He felt the fan in his torso spinning faster, coolant filtering at a rapid speed inside him. If he could blush, he’d be as red as a tato. The witty comeback died on his lips as Sam’s fingers ran over his neck, caressing the broken panels of his skin and gently touching the wires that ran beneath. 

Nick closed his eyes and sighed. This had to be a day dream. At night when the Diamond City citizens were fast asleep, Nick the Synth Detective would sit at his desk, running tests and processing all his thoughts. He’d imagine himself as an updated Gen 3 synth, with hair, proper skin, and all the bits and pieces that would make him worthy of Sam’s love. 

But all those thoughts were just those: thoughts. They weren’t reality. Reality was a broken robot of a man with worn panels and holes in his body. That didn’t sleep, didn’t eat, and couldn’t love. 

So why on Earth was this pretty lady touching his neck like a long lost lover? 

“S-Sam” Nick stuttered, eyes still closed. He tried to savor this moment for all it was worth before Sam realized what she was doing. The mistake she was making. 

“Nicky.” He heard her whisper, her voice caressing his face. The sensors in his weather worn checks picked up the pressure of her fingers trailing along his jaw, tracing his cracks and cuts. Nick felt Sam press fully against him, her lips following the path her fingers had left along his jaw. She pressed soft kisses against his skin, leaving him stunned and breathless. 

All the processors in Nick’s body were working double time, pumping fluid and spinning fast inside him. He had memories of Old Nick holding Jenny close like this, and moments like these usually ended with clothes scattered on the floor and heavy breathing throughout the night. 

It was when her tongue stuck out and ran against the corner of his mouth that Nick snapped back into reality. 

He pushed himself away from the desk and away from the lovely woman who was now standing with her arms halfway outstretched, blinking rapidly at the synth. 

“Now listen-“ he started, his voice low and husky. He cleared his throat, reaching up to adjust his loose tie. “I don’t know what you’re doing here Doll, but I think- I think you need to stop.” 

Sam’s face crumpled at the synth’s words. Her outreached arms fell to her side and she nearly fell against the desk. 

“Nick I…I’m sorry. I thought-“ the words began to become mumbled as she averted her eyes from his bright yellow ones. Sam shook her head, standing a bit taller before saying “I thought you knew.” She said looking him in the eye. 

Nick quickly processed all the things he could remember her telling him that might make sense as to why she had kissed him but the thought process was interrupted by Sam slowly taking a small step towards him. 

“Nick, I love you.” She said quietly, but her voice was strong.

Old Nick was used to hearing the phrase often from his love Jenny. It was a daily saying she told Old Nick as he left for work in the mornings. She would reach up to adjust his tie and press a loving kiss into the man’s check before pulling back and saying she loved him. She would step out on the porch to wave him off for work. 

Nick the synth shook the memory out of his processor as he focused back on the dame in front of him. 

“Sweetheart,” he started, metal hand twitching with what he could only say was anxiety. “No you don’t.” 

It was Sam’s turn to twitch. “What?” she replied, taking another step towards the robot. 

“You don’t love me Doll.” Nick said, hands shoved in his pocket, fumbling for his cigarettes and lighter. 

“How can you say that Nick?” Sam ask, crossing her arms against her chest, frowning at him, her eyebrows furrowed together. 

Nick quickly placed a cigarette between his lips, lighting it and taking a drag to give him time to think. Should he confess his true feelings or should he stand by his promise to let her be happy with a better man? He let the smoke billow out of his neck and mouth, giving his cigarette a tap with his metal hand before meeting the Vault Dweller’s sad eyes. 

“Look at me Kid.” Nick said. “How on Earth could you love a mug like this?”

Sam’s lip quivered as her hunched up shoulders dropped in defeat. 

“Nick,” she whispered softly, taking a step towards the synth. 

The old lamp at the corner of his desk cast shadows across her face, catching the gleam of a tear in her eye and the tip of her tongue that shot out to swipe across her bottom lip before her teeth caught it. She was close enough to him that he could reach out and wrap her in his arms. He could catch that lip she was nibbling on between his own and kiss her silly. Kiss her like he so desperately wanted to. 

But once again reality was sitting on his shoulder, shaking its finger at him disappointingly. 

So Nick stayed quiet, sucking on his cigarette because right now it was the only thing grounding him.

“Why would you say that?” Sam asked, watching the detective’s face. 

Nick’s eyes darted around the room before finally settling on his shoes. 

“Nick,” Sam said, stepping even closer, almost as close as she had been when he had kissed him. “You’re beautiful.” She said, daring to reach a hand out to touch his chest.  
Nick scoffed, lifting the cigarette up for another drag and watching her hand clutch at his shirt. 

“You are.” She continued. “You’re handsome Nick. And you’re so kind. You’re intelligent and you really care about people Nick. You want to help everyone and I- I love you.”  
Nick’s head shot up, looking at the woman in front of him. She couldn’t mean it. He knew that. She must have taken some new mixed up drug Hancock had given her.  
“What about your son? Your husband?” Nick managed to get out, frowning as Sam’s hand moved up to hold his shoulder. 

“I’ve been awake in this world for months now and…I’ve realized that even if I can find Shaun…I’ll never have Nate again. He’s dead, Nick. Like Jenny. They’re gone and they’re not coming back. But I found you and you’ve been nothing but good to me and I should’ve told you how I truly feel before you went into the memory lounger to search through Kellogg’s memories. I could’ve lost you. I almost did. And when you asked to go back to Diamond City, I thought maybe you wanted to be away from me for a while. I thought you might need some space after everything we’d been through. But I couldn’t stay away from you Nick. I’m drawn to you. I don’t want to be with anyone else.” 

“You loved me since I was hooked up to Kellogg’s memories?” Nick asked, having to keep his hands in fists to keep from reaching out to the hold the woman near him. 

Sam sighed, looking up into Nick’s eyes. She nodded silently, her other hand now on his other shoulder. Her hands stayed still on his shoulder, not crossing the line until she was certain she had Nick’s consent. 

Nick blinked, thinking back to the days of traveling after Kellogg’s memories in search of the Winter holotapes. There had been nights where they had only found abandoned shacks and sometimes rusted cars to sleep in at night. Nick would lay back, a hand on his pistol to stay vigilant on watch, but Sam would shed the layer of armor she felt comfortable taking off and would curl up on Nick’s side, usually an arm draped across his torso. Nick didn’t mind. He considered it just a partner looking for some warmth from the sweeping winds and chilly night. Although his mind wandered, he told himself not to think anymore of the touches that came during their travels. He didn’t think anything of the hand that would hold his as they crossed streams or while climbing up steep hills. He didn’t wonder about the pretty smile on the girl’s face as she looked back at him from further up the road, or when she had borrowed his coat and wrapped it around herself when they huddled inside one of the police stations during a rad storm.  
But how could Nick explain Sam’s touch now. Two hands caressing his shoulders through his coat and shirt, eyes looking longingly into his and a soft smile playing on her lips. She nodded, stating her confession of love once more. 

“I was so worried something would go wrong when Amari plugged you in. I didn’t want to risk anything happening to you.” 

Nick was silent for a second, watching the lovely little lady before him. She was biting her bottom lip again, nervous of what the synth would say. 

“Well,” Nick said softly, cautiously reaching his good hand out of his pocket to take the cigarette from his mouth and drop it to the ground; he crushed it under his shoe. He slowly brought his hand up to trace under the bitten bottom lip, making Sam release it. 

“I can’t say I rightly believe you but I guess this is the part where I say ‘I love you too’ huh?” Nick joked, cupped Sam’s cheek and leaning in to press his forehead against hers. 

“Really?” Sam whispered, eyes still open, locked with the synths. 

Nick brought his other hand out of his pocket to cup Sam’s other cheek, tilting her head back to really stare into her eyes. Sam’s hands were wrapping themselves around Nick’s neck, pulling his closer again. 

Nick gave a small smile. “Since the day you rescued me from that no-good Skinny Malone.” He said, his metal index finger carefully traveling along Sam’s jaw. Sam grinned, biting her bottom lip once more. 

“You need to stop biting that lip Darling,” Nick said. 

“Or what?” 

“I might have to do something drastic.” He replied, leaning in to capture her lips with his own. Nick felt Sam’s body melt into his, her arms tightening around his neck and drawing him in as close as she could. She tilted her head, allowing him to deepen their kiss. He dropped his hands to her waist, holding her against him but slowly pulling his face away to speak. 

“You really love this old beat up mug?” he ask, hands gently caressing her lower back. 

“I do,” she said nodding, one hand pulling the back edge of his hat down so that it wasn’t so low on his forehead. 

“You’re one strange dame.” He said before she reached up to kiss him once more.

“You love me though.” She said against his mouth, a smiling pulling on her face. 

“I sure do.” He said, pressing kisses along her jaw line as he gently pushed her against the edge of his desk. 

The citizens of Diamond City were only slightly curious as to why the neon Detective Agency sign wasn’t lit up that night.


End file.
